sierra's Tealogsierra's tealog on Steepsterhttp://steepster.com/
Golden Monkey from TeavanaThis was a gift from someone who knew I liked tea, but didn't know what to get me. I was shocked to find out that this is one of the most expensive mall teas. It's good, but it's certainly not great. I think it smells a bit like the tobacco my stepfather used to chew when I was a kid.Mon, 16 Apr 2012 01:58:34 -0400/teas/Golden%20Monkey/3804-golden-monkey?note=110392
Lemongrass & Ginger from PukkaWed, 18 Apr 2012 12:26:04 -0400/teas/Lemongrass%20&%20Ginger/3282-lemongrass-and-ginger?note=110720
Samurai Chai Maté from TeavanaI tried this at a Teavana store and thought it tasted fantastic, so I bought two ounces. At home, it tastes a bit too much like Big Red gum. I'm assuming that the sample I had at the store was blended with something else. It's growing on me. I usually hate anything cinnamon (with the exception if cinnamon rolls. nom nom nom), but this isn't too awful. I just wish it tasted more like what I had in the store. Fri, 08 Feb 2013 19:11:21 -0500/teas/Samurai%20Chai%20Mat%C3%A9/590-samurai-chai-mate?note=156467
JavaVana Mate from TeavanaPart of my "I have a giant tax refund check so let's buy tea" haul. I like the smell more than the taste. I'm also a bit wary of anything that says it's cappuccino flavored. Cappuccino isn't a flavor! It's a preparation! /rant.
This tea tasted a bit too much like coffee with cheap flavor syrups. That being said, I did drink two pots of it today, so I suppose I didn't mind it as much as I thought.Fri, 08 Feb 2013 19:14:52 -0500/teas/JavaVana%20Mate/15971-javavana-mate?note=156468
Organic Breakfast from Mighty Leaf TeaTue, 12 Feb 2013 11:20:28 -0500/teas/Organic%20Breakfast/166-organic-breakfast?note=157108
Prince of Wales from Twinings of LondonI've tried with this. I really have. It tastes like depression in a cup.Thu, 01 Aug 2013 21:28:31 -0400/teas/Prince%20of%20Wales/6866-prince-of-wales?note=185784
Strawberry Rose Champagne Oolong Tea from TeavanaThis is one of my favorite flavored teas. I know people are generally "eh" about Teavana, but this is so light and lovely. I also really like it brewed together with ginger peach Stash tea. Wed, 25 Dec 2013 14:10:18 -0500/teas/Strawberry%20Rose%20Champagne%20Oolong%20Tea/30602-strawberry-rose-champagne-oolong-tea?note=210624
Lavender Dreams from TeavanaWhen I was a kid, my grandmother had a soap that smelled the way this tastes, and I mean that in the best possible way. I've tried this a few ways now and mostly prefer it steeped for upwards of eight minutes, and almost always on accident. Fri, 27 Dec 2013 18:09:13 -0500/teas/Lavender%20Dreams/2346-lavender-dreams?note=211076
MateVana from TeavanaI think I was a coffee snob too long to really enjoy this. I can taste the the fake "cappuccino" flavor (which isn't a flavor in and of itself as so much as it is a preparation, but this is a tea site and no reason to go into that here) and, sadly, I've had a giant tin of this sitting in my cupboard for months after someone bought it for me for my birthday. Fri, 27 Dec 2013 18:11:35 -0500/teas/MateVana/815-matevana?note=211077
Precious White Peach from TeavanaGetting through this "Oh, my god, I bought so much tea with my refund check" backlog.
I'm not big on flavored teas unless that flavor is peach. Normally, if I'm Teavana-ing, I go for Peach Tranquility, but that wasn't an option this time around, so I went with this. It's not bad. It's pleasant. Nothing to write home about, really. (But enough to write on Steepster about!) I've been drinking it off and on at work all week, and today I mixed it with some jasmine green tea pearls. It was like drinking a hipster's wedding bouquet. Strangely, I think that's going to be my preferred method of consumption.
Really, I just want my Peach Tranquility back.Fri, 06 Feb 2015 19:21:40 -0500/teas/Precious%20White%20Peach/620-precious-white-peach?note=287464
Four Seasons Dark Roast from Drunken MeadowDrinking through my last Select box because it's like 30 degrees in my office right now and other warming drinks are no longer the norm during working hours in the corporate world. I have to say, I'm not the biggest fan of this one. The light roast is fine, but the dark is kind of eh. I ended up throwing in some loose leaf peach I have the last time I steeped it and it made it taste a little better. I really need to find different flavored tea insetad of putting peach in everything.Sat, 07 Feb 2015 14:22:04 -0500/teas/Four%20Seasons%20Dark%20Roast/55938-four-seasons-dark-roast?note=287538
Fusion Breakfast Green and Black from Stash Tea CompanyThis is...something, all right. I can't put my finger on what this taste is. It's not the worst thing. It's just weird. Nothing a lot of sugar can't fix, I guess. I wouldn't buy this again.Tue, 10 Feb 2015 08:48:46 -0500/teas/Fusion%20Breakfast%20Green%20and%20Black/1599-fusion-breakfast-green-and-black?note=287956
Paris from Harney & SonsFinally got some of this after seeing good reviews on here. I'm not a big Earl Grey fan, but the descriptions of Paris sounded nice. And it is nice. I'm kind of sick and having a stressy day at work. This is just what I needed.
Edit. Had to downgrade my rating a little. This got super duper astringent after I let it sit for awhile. Wed, 11 Feb 2015 10:04:07 -0500/teas/Paris/1537-paris?note=288156
Lapsang Souchong from TwiningsI also got this as part of a Twinings sample thing. Meh.
First impressions: Smells like fake smoke and leather. There's also something that's vaguely reminding me of the beach, but I can't put my finger on it. And I just brought it out to my desk at work and everyone's going to hate me when they walk by because the smell is so strong. Oh, well.
It tastes pretty much how it smells. I'm not a fan. This is the first lapsang souchong I've ever tasted, though. I'm sure there are better ones out there. At least I didn't pay for this one.
Edit: I only managed two sips and had to throw it out. The smell is too much. And now I can't get the smell off of my hands. Ugh.Tue, 17 Feb 2015 09:04:26 -0500/teas/Lapsang%20Souchong/6705-lapsang-souchong?note=289041
Mi Lan Xiang (Snow Orchid) from Seven CupsMy Steepster Select box came in yesterday! Having this for my morning work tea. First sample of the box!
In the pouch, it smells like flowers. It reminds me of the garden we had when I was little.
It steeps to a pretty golden color and smells a little floral, but not as strong as it did in the pouch, obviously. The taste is a very mild flowery, sweet taste. Very mild. Maybe it's just that way because I'm still getting over a cold. I don't know. It's pleasant, though.
I added a little bit of sugar to it and it made all the difference. The sugar made everything taste a little brighter. A+. The package says I can get 3+ steeps out of this. Challenge accepted.Wed, 18 Feb 2015 08:42:14 -0500/teas/Mi%20Lan%20Xiang%20(Snow%20Orchid)/56578-mi-lan-xiang-snow-orchid?note=289204
Fuding White Peony from SteepsterFrom my Select box this month:
When it was steeping, it smelled a bit like the farm I grew up on. I made everyone in my lunchroom smell it and they agreed on the farm smell. It's a good smell, though. Like sweet hay and earth.
It brews to a golden color and has a very subtle floral taste. Not a barnyard taste, thankfully. I don't specifically taste peony, though, but I would definitely buy a couple ounces of this to keep on hand.Thu, 19 Feb 2015 12:31:38 -0500/teas/Fuding%20White%20Peony/56581-fuding-white-peony?note=289394
Organic Wuyi Golden Emperor from SteepsterFebruary '15 Steepster Select:
It's fine. I made it and then got called away from my desk, so I'm drinking it at a little closer to room temperature. It reminds me a little of Teavana's Golden Monkey, or whatever the super expensive one they pawned on me the first time I went there was. I agree with the "malt, toasted honey, and stewed fruit" description on the package. Maybe not so much the stewed fruit, but definitely the malt and toasted honey. Very nice mouth-feel, too.Fri, 20 Feb 2015 09:36:25 -0500/teas/Organic%20Wuyi%20Golden%20Emperor/56579-organic-wuyi-golden-emperor?note=289503
Meng Ding Mao Feng 2014 from Seven CupsNext to last tea for February 2015 Select!
This is a really solid green tea. It hits the buttery, dashi flavors I like, but it's not as strong as a gyokuro. I'd definitely buy this for an everyday, after-lunch green tea. Fri, 20 Feb 2015 12:15:16 -0500/teas/Meng%20Ding%20Mao%20Feng%202014/56577-meng-ding-mao-feng-2014?note=289522
Fusion Breakfast Green and Black from Stash Tea CompanyI just made this again. I had a pretty terrible time with it last time, but it was the only caffeinated thing in my work stash, so I tried again. I didn't steep it for too long and used hotter water. It made all the difference. Comparable to regular ol' Lipton black tea. I don't get the green tea flavors at all. It's totally fine, though. Works in a pinch.Wed, 25 Feb 2015 13:12:13 -0500/teas/Fusion%20Breakfast%20Green%20and%20Black/1599-fusion-breakfast-green-and-black?note=290486
Yellow and Blue from Harney & SonsThu, 26 Feb 2015 10:10:14 -0500/teas/Yellow%20and%20Blue/2518-yellow-and-blue?note=290706
Yellow and Blue from Harney & SonsThis is pleasant. I haven't had a good chamomile in awhile, so I picked this up with my last Amazon order. It's very, very chamomile and not a lot of lavender, but that's fine by me. Thu, 26 Feb 2015 10:10:36 -0500/teas/Yellow%20and%20Blue/2518-yellow-and-blue?note=290707
Sencha Jade Reserve from TeavanaLiterally my favorite tea ever. Thu, 26 Feb 2015 13:58:05 -0500/teas/Sencha%20Jade%20Reserve/22569-sencha-jade-reserve?note=290739
2010 Yunnan Pu-erh from SteepsterLast of my Select box.
Pu-erh is always hit or miss for me, but this one is good. I agree with the other tasting note that there's a faint hint of fish, but it's not a bad thing. It's very earthy and reminds me of being in the woods when it's just about to turn from autumn to winter and everything is wet. I'd buy this.Fri, 27 Feb 2015 08:56:14 -0500/teas/2010%20Yunnan%20Pu-erh/56580-2010-yunnan-pu-erh?note=291079
Mocha Nut Mate from Adagio TeasOh, this is good. I bought it on a whim while I was on an Adagio tea-buying spree. I usually don't like chocolate teas, but the notes on here convinced me it might be a good idea. You all were not wrong!
I thought I was accidentally over-steeping because I started talking to someone and not paying attention to my tea, but nope. Right on time. It's nice and toasty and the chocolate/hazelnut taste is definitely there, but not too fakey-fakey tasting like some chocolate teas I've had. Tue, 03 Mar 2015 08:46:12 -0500/teas/Mocha%20Nut%20Mate/15496-mocha-nut-mate?note=291945
Spearmint from Adagio TeasTue, 03 Mar 2015 13:02:30 -0500/teas/Spearmint/255-spearmint?note=291973
Spearmint from Adagio TeasI was torn between this and one of my Welcome to Night Vale teas, but as the day went on, my stomach felt sick(er), so mint tea it is!
The leaves smell very strong and cool. Tastes just like Bigelow Mint Medley, though, which is my usual go-to for mint, since we have tons and tons of Bigelow at work. Kind of disappointed, but not really. It's a good mint tea.Tue, 03 Mar 2015 13:03:44 -0500/teas/Spearmint/255-spearmint?note=291974
Cecil (The Voice) from Custom-Adagio Teas, Cara McGeeCecil, love of my life, why are you so perfect? You're more perfect than Perfect Carlos.
This is such a nice little chai. It's not astringent at all, and I don't think I've ever had a green-based chai before. It's nice. I was a little put off by the sprinkles, but I don't think they make much difference, and the more I think about it, the more I think they belong in every WTNV blend. Except for Steve Carlsberg. He doesn't deserve nice things. Steve and his stupid, tan Toyota Corolla. Ugh.Wed, 04 Mar 2015 08:52:44 -0500/teas/Cecil%20(The%20Voice)/40931-cecil-the-voice?note=292097
Tiger Eye from Adagio TeasUgh. One day I'll remember how much I hate caramel/chocolate teas and I'll stop buying them. I don't know why I bought this.
It's not the worst with a little bit of cream and sugar. Kind of like a caramel latte that way. I'm unsure about it. I've had way worse "dessert"-flavored teas, though.Fri, 06 Mar 2015 13:23:54 -0500/teas/Tiger%20Eye/22073-tiger-eye?note=292471
ingenuiTEA from Adagio TeasI use this multiple times a day every day at work. I don't know how I ever lived without it.Thu, 12 Mar 2015 08:14:02 -0400/teas/ingenuiTEA/15373-ingenuitea?note=293584
Vanilla from Adagio TeasBought on a whim during an Adagio buying binge. I thought it would be nice to have to pair with some of the fruity teas I have, but this is really lovely by itself with some half and half and sugar. Thu, 12 Mar 2015 08:15:42 -0400/teas/Vanilla/106-vanilla?note=293587
Jasmine Silver Needle from Adagio TeasThis is my new favorite jasmine anything. I used slightly more water than usual (on accident) and a little bit of sugar (on purpose) and basically cried into my cup because it was so good. Fri, 13 Mar 2015 12:30:32 -0400/teas/Jasmine%20Silver%20Needle/5319-jasmine-silver-needle?note=293820
Traditional Yerba Mate Tea Bags from GuayakiThis is weird. I don't know what to think of it. I went the "mate latte" route, as described on the bag, by adding a tiny bit of sugar and cream. It's currently 6:30 in the morning and I'm at work for overtime. I can't keep my eyes open, so I figured now was a good time to bust open this bag.
It kind of reminds me of a pu-erh, which I'm not a big fan of. It has that smoky, earthy taste to it, but not fishy like most of the pu-erhs I've tried, so it does have that going for it. Maybe I'm just not used to pure, regular yerba mate. The only mate I've ever had has always been blended with other flavors, like cocoa, chocolate, or coffee. I'll keep giving this a try. Don't want to let a giant bag of tea go to waste.Wed, 18 Mar 2015 06:42:31 -0400/teas/Traditional%20Yerba%20Mate%20Tea%20Bags/2133-traditional-yerba-mate-tea-bags?note=294971
Glow Cloud from Custom-Adagio Teas, Cara McGeeALL HAIL. ALL HAIL. ALL HAIL.Wed, 18 Mar 2015 12:46:16 -0400/teas/Glow%20Cloud/44216-glow-cloud?note=295054